Jai Shri Krishna.Chapter 2 TEXT 13
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati
SYNONYMS
dehinah—of the embodied; asmin—in this; yatha—as;dehe—in the body;
kaumaram—boyhood; yauvanam—youth; jara—old age;tatha—similarly; deha-
antara—of transference of the body; praptih—achievement;dhirah—the
sober; tatra—thereupon; na—never; muhyati—is deluded.
TRANSLATION
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood
to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at
death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
PURPORT
Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his
body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a
youth, and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there
and does not undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes
the body at death and transmigrates to another body; and since it is
sure to have another body in the next birth—either material or
spiritual—there was no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of
death, neither for Bhisma nor for Drona, for whom he was so much
concerned. Rather, he should rejoice for their changing bodies from
old to new ones, thereby rejuvenating their energy. Such changes of
body account for varieties of enjoyment or suffering, according to
one's work in life. So Bhisma and Drona, being noble souls, were
surely going to have spiritual bodies in the next life, or at least
life in heavenly bodies for superior enjoyment of material existence.
So, in either case, there was no cause of lamentation.
Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the
individual soul, the Supersoul, and nature—both material and
spiritual—is called a dhira, or a most sober man. Such a man is
never deluded by the change of bodies.
TEXT 14
matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata
WORD FOR WORD
matra-sparsah--sensory perception; tu--only; kaunteya--O son of Kunti;
sita--winter; usna--summer; sukha--happiness; duhkha--and pain; dah--giving;
agama--appearing; apayinah--disappearing; anityah--nonpermanent; tan--all of
them; titiksasva--just try to tolerate; bharata--O descendant of the Bharata
dynasty.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their
disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter
and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and
one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
PURPORT
In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent
appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic
injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month
of Magha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of that
a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath.
Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May
and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in
spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle
of the ksatriyas, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative,
one should not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the
prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to
the platform of knowledge, because by knowledge and devotion only can one
liberate himself from the clutches of maya (illusion).
The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To
address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother's
side; and to address him as Bharata signifies his greatness from his father's
side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage
brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties; therefore, he
cannot avoid fighting.
Vasant
Vasant